That’s why you could still get COVID after your vaccine, CDC says



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Refinery29

COVID-19 Vaccine Won’t Make You Infertile

COVID-19 vaccines are fast becoming a key tool in the fight against the pandemic: getting the vaccine gives you immunity against the virus, helping to stop the spread and keep everyone safe. That’s why it’s so important that everyone gets vaccinated – and why the myths circulating about vaccines, including that they can cause infertility or are not safe for pregnant women, are so harmful. “There are a lot of people who are concerned about the vaccine and vaccine safety, and I think this is the result of the amount of misinformation being disseminated,” Iahn Gonsenhauser, MD, head of quality and safety of patients at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says Refinery29. While most Americans are ready to be vaccinated, 27% of people are still hesitant, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in December. Many of these people are afraid of possible side effects, the survey showed, although health officials are emphasizing vaccine safety. A widely shared post on Facebook called the COVID vaccine “female sterilization.” It contains a spike protein known as syncytin-1, the Post said, which is important in creating the placenta. The post claims that the vaccine will cause people to form an immune response against this particular spike protein, causing fertility problems. Dr Gonsenhauser says, “This is just, completely wrong.” “There is no evidence to suggest that this vaccine would affect fertility and that is no reason not to get the vaccine,” says Abisola Olulade, MD, a family physician based in San Diego. Another bogus and alarmist Facebook post – this one shared by a naturopath – says “they” don’t want women in Moderna trials to conceive a month after the second dose of the vaccine. The naturopath concluded that this means the vaccine is not safe to give to pregnant women, but again, there is no evidence to support these claims. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has given pregnant women and those trying to become pregnant the green light to receive the vaccine, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists echoed this, recommending that COVID vaccines -19 “not be refused” to pregnant women who meet vaccination criteria and should also be offered to breastfeeding people. Data on the safety of COVID vaccination during pregnancy is limited. Pregnant women are generally excluded from clinical trials due to fears of harm to the fetus (although many argue that keeping pregnant women out of trials leads to an under-representation of their health needs). Twenty-three of the Pfizer trial participants became pregnant during the study, but that’s too small a sample to tell us much. Dr Olulade says people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to become pregnant should talk to their doctor before getting the vaccine (everyone should!). “Ultimately, it is about weighing the risks of the unknown when it comes to the vaccine in pregnant women against the known dangerous risks of COVID.” “There is a great deal of evidence supporting the increased risk that [pregnant people] bear a serious illness from COVID-19, ”adds Dr. Gonsenhauser. They are more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and require mechanical ventilation due to COVID-19. “From a risk and benefit perspective, very few risks have been identified for pregnant women due to the vaccine and many benefits have been identified,” he continues. If a pregnant person chooses not to be vaccinated, it is especially important that they do everything they can to stay safe, including social distancing and wearing a face covering in public. The vaccines have some side effects that are known to the general public, including fever, fatigue, headache, and swelling at the injection site – similar to the effects of the flu shot. This week, the CDC released an analysis of nearly 2 million doses that showed how rare more serious allergic reactions to the vaccine are: there were only 11.1 cases per million doses given. “At this point, we have had tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people around the world who have received the vaccines that are currently being given in the United States,” says Dr. Gonsenhauser. “They have been shown time and time again to be safe and effective.” Ultimately, it’s each individual’s choice whether or not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and if you’re concerned, speak to a reputable doctor at your own personal risk. But as the CDC says, we know it can protect you from the virus and can help stop the pandemic in its tracks – and with reports of a highly contagious new COVID-19 super strain landing in states. – United, there are many reasons for wanting to stop the spread of the potentially fatal virus as quickly as possible. Like what you see? What to know about the new COVID-19 “Super Strain” medical racism, the COVID vaccine and a way forward Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine has just obtained FDA approval

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